Condenser for air conditioning systems



Feb. 16, 1937. P. CROSLEY. JR 2,071,026

CONDENSER FOR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS Filed March 12, 1934 3Sheets-Sheet 1 l INVENTOR,

m" El v Y ATTORNEYS,

Feb. 16, 1937. P. CROSLEY. JR 2,071,026

CONDENSER FOR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS Filed March 12,719.34 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 16, 1937. P, CR SLEY, R i 2,071,026

CONDENSER FOR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS Filed March 12 1954 a Sheets-Shets ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 16, 1937 comprisnn roa am ooi'i'iomua SYSTEMS ApplicationMai-ch R2, 19341, Serial No. 315,077

9 @laimms. (@l. 257-39) My invention relates primarily to devices forcooling and conditioning the air in a space for personal occupancy, suchas a room or the like; and while it is not so restricted; it will bedescribed in connection with a specialized form of construction such asthat set forth in my copending application entitled Devices forconditioning and cooling air, Ser. No. 714,687, filed March 8, 1934. Theprinciples of the invention will be clearly applicable in general to airconditioning systems.

The objects of my invention comprise the provision of means and a methodfor increasing the efficiency of such systems. More particularly myobject is to do away with the necessity of disposal of moisturecondensed upon the evaporator, and to employ this'moisture in promotinga more rapid cooling of the refrigerant in the condenser.

The increase of over-all efficiency produced in this way, becomes ofgreat importance in connection with the conditioning of air in a smalland not very well insulated space designed for immediate occupancy.However, it should be noted that the use of water condensed out of theair by the low pressure side of a refrigerating apparatus, to assist incooling the high pressure side thereof, results in an increase in thehumidity of that air which passes through the condenser; and for thisreason, the use of my invention implies the provision of means wherebythe air conditioned space is segregated from a space in which thecondenser and associated apparatus are located.

These general and the-more specific objects of my invention, which willbe set forth hereinafter, or will be apparent to one skilled in the artupon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that certainconstruction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe theaforesaid exemplary embodiment.

In the drawings:

Figure '1 is an elevational view with parts in section of one form ofcondenser construction which I may employ.

Figure 2 is a view of an exemplary air cooling and conditioning systemembodying my invention.

Figure 3 is an elevational view with parts in section of another form oicondenser.

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the condenser pans.

lines 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an elevational view thereof.

Figure 7 is a sectional view of an air conditioningunit embodying myinvention.

Figure 5 is a sectional view thereof along the It will be understoodthat the particular air conditioning unit which I describe herein is onewhich is exemplary only of a type of unit in which my invention may beembodied, but that my invention is applicable to other types of air con-5 ditioning installations. In Figure 2 I have shown a bed indicatedgenerally at l having disposed about and around it a canopy 2 uponsuitable supports designed to enclose a space in which the air is to becooled and conditioned. I have inlo dicated broadly at 3 the cabinet ofan air cooling and conditioning device. More particular description ofthis construction is unnecessary here but is set forth at length in mycopending application hereinabove referred to. to'point out that the airwithin the restricted space enclosed by'the canopy 2 is cooled andconditioned essentially by being withdrawn thereform to the cabinet 3,treated therein and returned to the canopy through suitable inlet andoutlet openings provided for the pu pose." The canopy 2 is of flexiblematerial usually consisting of, or comprising, a woven fabric. Itspurpose is to confine the conditioned air to the space just above thebed excepting that it may be so designed that there will be somebleeding or change ofatmosphere therein. The canopy may likewise havesome insulating valuebut it will be obvious that in a system of thischaracter, where a small unit is employed, the utmost cooling andconditioning efllciency must be attained. A reference to Figure 7 willshow in general an exemplary construction of unit for the purpose. In acabinet 4 I have shown a partitioned oif space 5 surrounded byinsulating material 6. An evaporator 1 is located therein together witha fan 8 for insuring the circulation of air. The motor 9, compressor Illand condenser II are located in the main part of the cabinet and outsideof the insulated space 5 heretofore referred to, and there is noconnection for air therebetween. The various connections between theseseveral devices do not require special comment.

It will be clear however, that there are set up in this apparatus, twoseparate circulations of. air; one in the restricted space 1 containingthe evaporator and the other in the larger part of the cabinetcontaining the high pressure side of the refrigerating system. This lastmentioned circulation of air is set up by the fan Be on the motor. Thecirculation of air in the cooling and conditioning space I is from andto the canopy 2, while the circulation in the larger part of the cabinetis fromand to the outer air surrounding the canopy. 66

It is suflicient 16' In a system of this character I have found that itis possible to employ the water, condensed from the conditioned air bythe evaporator, in cooling the condenser by the construction which Ihave devised and will hereafter explain. The amount of water evaporatedat the condenser will be equal to the amount condensed at the evaporatorso that there is no problem of the disposal of any excess condensate.Therefore instead of delivering the condensate from the evaporator tosome vessel for the purpose, I have found that when employing myconstruction, it is practical to deliver it to the condenser and get ridof it in this way with the advantages of added convenience and muchgreater efiiciency.

In Figures 1 and 3 to 6 inclusive, I have shown various forms ofcondenser and parts thereof adapted to the practice of my invention.Essentially I have used on the tubes. of my condenser, pans for theholding of liquid instead of the usual fiat vanes. These pans are sodisposed as to fill up serially to a desired level and then spill overinto the next lower pan. Moreover I have so designed these pans as toprevent the air being blown over the pans from dislodging moisturetherefrom so as to blow drops of moisture out into the room.

I am not restricted in the type of condenser construction which I mayemploy. 'In Figure 1 I have shown a condenser comprising a manifold Ilaat the top thereof and a lower manifold II. A series of vertical tubesll passed between these manifolds, and the pans aforesaid extendtransversely of these tubes and are indicated generally type of manifoldin which a tubing l5 extends by reverse bends, in a sinuous path betweenan entrance fitting l6 and an exit fitting II. The pans in this figureare indicated at i8.

The" pans themselves are preferably shallow sheet metal stampings moreparticularly illustrated in Figures 4, 5, and 6. In stamping out thesepans I prefer to form about the orifices through which the tubes of thecondenser will 46 pass, upstanding sleeves or protrusions l8a in themetal. The edges of the pans are indicated at I! and mayadvantageouslyhave slightly proiecting fins 20. Likewise I have providedan outlet orifice 2| surrounded likewise'by an up- 50 standing sleeve orprotrusion of the metal 22,

shorter in height however than the effective depth of the pan. The pansmay be made of copper or the like and when they are assembled with thetubing which constitutes the condenser,

55 they will have their outlet members 2| disposed alternately atopposite ends thereof. Thus when the topmost pan fills up, it willdeliver water to I the next lower pan. This water then fiows toward theopposite end ofthe second pan until so this pan is filled to theoverflow point whereupon it will deliver water at its opposite end tothe third pan and so on. I have shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, dents ordownwardly extending protuberances 23 in the metal of the pans. The pur-65 pose of these is to form a falling off place for drips of watercoming through the overflow portions 2], to permit the collection offairly large drops before these drops fall, and in this way to preventsmaller sized drops from being entrained 70 in the air passing throughthe condenser so as to be blown therefrom.

Figure '7 I have shown a pan 24 disposed below the evaporator 'I. Inthis pan the moisture collecting upon the evaporator is trapped, and itis 7 carried away by a tube 25 to be delivered in the at I4. In Figure 3I have illustrated another topmost pan of the condenser ll. Ashereinabove indicated, I have found that under normal conditions ofoperation, the condenser is capable of causing the evaporation of all ofthe water which condenses on the evaporator. While the evaporation ofwater at the condenser may add somewhat to the humidity of theatmosphere surrounding the canopy, yet this is of no particularimportance for the reason that it is only the space inside the canopy inwhich the air is to be cooled and conditioned. Where my invention isapplied to conditioning air in rooms or the like, it will be understoodthat the high pressure side of the refrigerating device will have set upin it a circulation of air to and from a space outside the room.

The evaporation of condensate from the evaporator by the condenser verygreatly increases the efliciency of the refrigeration device as will beevident.

Modifications may be made in my invention without departing from thespirit thereof.

' It will be the usual practice in constructing my condenser to assemblethe tubing and the pans as shown and then to tin or otherwise coat theentire structure with a protective metal. Where desired however, thepans may be directly brazed or soldered to the tubing. In either event,a structure is produced in which the pans are sealed in metallic contactto the tubing and not only act as the ordinary cooling vanes but alsoservos as holding means for the fluid, the evaporation of which assistsin the cooling of the condenser. The pans serve to abstract heat fromthe condenser and transfer it with great eiiiciency to the liquid, andthe extremely large exposed surface area of the liquid facilitates rapidevaporation and therefore eiilcient cooling under the influence of theair which passes thereover.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A condenser for air cooling and conditioning devices comprisingmembers providing passageways for compressed refrigerant and a pinralityof cooling vanes on said members and interspaced throughout theirlength, said cooling vanes having the shape of shallow pans adapted tohold a fluid,'the evaporation of which assists in cooling the saidcondenser.

2. A condenser for air cooling and conditioning apparatus comprisingtubing for the passage of refrigerant, a plurality of metallic vanes incontact with said tubing, said vanes being formed to contain a liquidand to present a large surface area of said liquid to air passingthrough said condenser.

3. A condenser for air conditioning apparatus comprising tubing forminga plurality of passageways for compressed refrigerant and a series ofvanes extending transversely of said tubing,

said vanes comprising shallow pans for holding --a liquid, said panshaving outlets, and said outaonoaa prising tubing and a plurality ofshallow pans arranged transversely to said tubing, said pans havingopenings therein for the passage of said tubing, said openings havingup-set portions of the metal thereabout, said tubing and said pans beingjoined together so as to form a tight metallic contact between saidtubing and the up-set portions of said pans.

6. A condenser for the purpose described comprising tubing and aplurality of shallow pans arranged transversely to said tubing, saidpans having openings therein for the passage of said tubing, saidopenings having up-set portions of the metal thereabout, said tubing andsaid pans being joined together so as to form a tight metallic contactbetween said tubing and the up-set portions of said pans, said panshaving outlet portions characterized by openings with up-set portions ofthe metal thereabout, said up-set portions of the metal being less inheight than the efiective depth of said pans.

7. A condenser for the purpose described comprising tubing and aplurality of shallow pans arranged transversely to said tubing, saidpans having openings therein for the passage of said tubing, saidopenings having up-set portions of the metal thereabout, said tubing andsaid pans being joined together so as to form a tight metallic contactbetween said tubing and the up-set portions of said pans, said panshaving outlet portions characterized by openings with up-set portions ofthe metal thereabout, said up-set portions of the metal being less inheight than the effective depth of said pans, said pans being assembledso that said outlet portions occur at alternate ends of successive pansrespectively.

8. A condenser for the purpose described comprising tubing and aplurality of shallow pans arranged transversely to said tubing, saidpans having openings therein for the passage of said tubing, saidopenings having up-set portions of the metal thereabout, said tubing andsaid pans being joined together so as to form a tight metallic contactbetween said tubing andthe upset portions of said pans, said pans havingoutlet portions characterized by openings with up-set portions of themetal thereabout, said up-set portions of the metal being less in heightthan the effective depth of said pans, and downwardly extendingprotuberances on said pans adjacent said outlet openings.

9. A condenser for the purpose described comprising tubing formingpassageways for a refrigerant, a plurality of shallow pans extendingtransversely of said tubing, means for delivering liquid from pan to panalternately at opposite ends thereof, means for maintaining a desireddepth of liquid in said pans and means for preventing the dislodgrnentof liquid from said pans by air passing through said condenser.

POWEL CROSLEY, JR.

